


Reunion

by Szarka



Category: Blake's 7
Genre: Alternate Gauda Prime, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 15:37:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9331895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Szarka/pseuds/Szarka
Summary: Alternative ending of the episode "Blake" where Avon stays on the crashing Scorpio instead of Tarrant. As a result, things turn out slightly less catastrophic.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I went through the Blake's 7 tag last year January, and I believe this is an idea nobody used yet. But an interesting what-if question, since the entire misunderstanding started with Blake not properly explaining to Tarrant what the whole bounty hunter disguise really was. Had he found Avon instead in the wreckage of the Scorpio, he may have had this chance.
> 
> I've wrote this in April 2016, than got frustrated that it just didn't want to end, and than it sat on my laptop until end December, when I dug it up, was surprised that it is actually readable, and finished it. As it turned out, there was less than a paragraph missing.

Avon watched as Tarrant and ORAC disappeared from board of the _Scorpio_ for the last time. He knew that he wouldn't see them again, but didn't have the time to think about it. It took all his concentration to keep the ship intact, SLAVE was some help, but not for long now. Something exploded. Avon held on to the console, not yet giving up all hope to get it back under control. All along, he knew perfectly well that he didn't stand a chance.

 

***

 

Blake's first thought upon entering the wreckage was _Well, this crashed_. His second thought was that the first wasn't very helpful. It seemed to be an ordinary freighter, nothing  remarkable about it. Probably approached Gauda Prime too much on it's way past, and someone hoped they could find some money by ambushing it. Mind you, the chances to that were not very big.

The board computer was still functioning, giving a last status report. For a bittersweet moment, it reminded Blake of his ZEN. The last thing he had heard from it was exactly such a report.

_« I am sorry... Avon. I have failed you. »_

Blake felt a chill spreading out from his chest. Suddenly, he lost all interest in the ship, and hurried towards the flight deck as fast as could be considered safe. Maybe a little faster.

The flight deck looked exactly as you would expect the flight deck of a crashed ship too look : Instrumentation had fallen apart, the ceiling had come off on a certain place, even a small fire was burning. It was deadly quiet, the computer had stopped talking. Or doing anything else, for that matter.

The man was lying on the ground next to a consol e , where the impact of the crash had t h rown him out of the chair. He wasn't moving. Blake knelt down beside him, and gently turned him over on his back.  _Avon._ It was him, without any doubt. Blake forced himself not to get stuck on this fact, and checked his pulse and breathing, like he would have  done with anyone. Just  unconscious , it would seem. Than he just sat there, looking at him.

Apart from the wounds caused by the crash, he seemed to be doing well. He hadn't lost any weight since Blake last saw him, his skin and clothes were clean, his hair recently washed – maybe the very day. He was wearing black leather, now torn in some places, that Blake didn't know, but it suited Avon's taste well enough to assume that he had picked it on his own accord. The wounds weren't as grave as they should have been, but did need medical attention in the near future.

He was also wearing a weapon belt with a gun on it. Blake removed it on the spot. It was an interesting gun, one of the best he'd ever seen.  _So you do have some advanced technology after all._

Had it been anyone else  of his old friends lying there, Blake would have touched them, caressed over their hair or just held their hand, but this was  _Avon_ . The safest way to lose him would be if he was to find out that you touched him without his permission while he was  unconscious. Touching him while he was awake was already dangerous enough.

He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there, but in the end, Avon moaned and opened his eyes. His first reaction upon seeing Blake was to back away from him as fast as he could, while reaching for his gun. He didn't find it.

« Is this what you're looking for ? » Blake held up the gun, and Avon let his hand sink, and maybe pressed a little harder with his back against the wall.

For a long moment, they just stared at eachother, Avon's face for once reflecting a hurricane of emotions. Good. Blake liked being able to provoke any emotions in the technician, it was the best way to control him. Avon surrounded himself with something like a big wall, or like an impenetrable force field, letting no-one closer than a certain line. Get over that line, get him to care for you, and he'll be loyal to the last. Oh, he'll fight and bite and insult you, and Blake was never sure if he loved or hated him, but in the end, he could trust him with his life, and that was what really mattered.

« Where are the others ? » demanded Avon.

« Others ? »

« My crew. There were four others. »

« I only found you. »

« They teleported before we crashed. They must be somewhere around here. »

Before Blake could answer, a shot missed him by a few inches. He noticed on the rand Avon ducking further into cover, but was already on his feet, firing in the direction the shot came from. Someone fired from a different direction, but Blake was faster and had the better gun. He had been right, Avon had a high quality weapon there. He shot three men, if there were more, they took the safe way out and made a run for it.

« Blake. » Avon was still sitting on the ground. « Check what function you used. »

Something fell in place. « A clipgun ! » Blake looked at the weapon with freshly gained admiration. « Where did you get it ? »

« We stole it, with the ship. » Where else ?

« It is set to kill. »

He returned to his friend and knelt beside him. « Can you stand ? »

Avon tried to get up, but his left leg gave in under him. « It would appear not. »

« Here. » Blake reached in his pocket and took out a healing pad. Avon eyed suspiciously at it.

« We have our own medical supplies, over there. » He pointed.

Blake stood up and returned wit a closed first-aid box. Avon opened it, took out a healing pad that was exactly like the one Blake had offered him, and started attending to his leg.

« You really don't trust me, do you, Avon ? »

« Are you surprised ? »

No, he wasn't surprised. Avon reminded him of a small animal, scared and hurt, knowing perfectly well that absolutely everything was after it to eat it. Every outlaw was like that on Gauda Prime. Blake himself felt chased most of the time, he was only a bit higher on the food chain.

« Are you ready ? »

Avon tested his leg. « Yes. »

« Good. We must leave immediately, it isn't safe here. This wreckage is bound to attract every bounty hunter in the sector. »

« Like it attracted you ? »

Blake ignored him. « Besides, you really don't want to be out in the dark, if you can help it. You may bring your own gun. » He pocketed the one he was holding.

« That's very generous of you. »

Blake watched closely as Avon got his gun. He knew that he was supposed to trust him, and he really wanted to, but somehow he couldn't. A legacy of the past two years, he thought bitter. Giving Avon a gun was already too risky, but he didn't have another possibility. Two people alone in the open at night on Gauda Prime was dangerous enough, if one of them was unarmed, it was suicide.

« We have more supplies in the back. »

« We won't need them, we are going straight to the base. We'll be safe there. »  _You'll be safe there._

Avon turned to face him, and he looked so much like his past self from Blake's memories about to start a fight, the rebel seriously thought for a moment that the past came back to life.

« What about the others ? »

« I'll come back and search for them as soon it gets light. »

« No. »

« I don't think you have a lot to say in this matter, Avon. »

« Don't I ? »

« Do you have  _any_ idea what it's like out there ? Let me tell you : It is a giant forest, with infinite hiding places, and the biggest population of outlaws in the entire Federation wandering around, not to mention the also biggest population of bounty hunters trying to get to them.  _All_ of them would kill for good food supplies or a safe hiding place.  And you ask me to find a small group of four people, in the dark, with a high pri c e on their heads, who don't know the place or what they need for survival. Now I can find them, probably, but I'll need equipment I don't have here, and what I  _don't_ need is someone who  literally just dropped out of the sky and has no idea of this world getting in my way. » 

« If you were in my position, would you just leave them there ? »

They both knew the answer to that question.

They stared angrily at eachother for half a minute or so. Blake had already forgotten how Avon could stare at him, like if he was trying to kill him with his mare look. Only that dusk approached quickly, and he didn't have the patience or the time for any games right now. Blake found his fingers playing with the handle of his gun, and stopped immediately, but it was already too late, Avon had noticed, too.

« We are spending the night in my flyer. It has a force wall, we should be relatively safe there. »

They both knew that there was no room for discussion.

 

***

 

They had to walk a certain distance to the flyer, far enough to be out of sight of anyone who might be attracted by the wreckage of  _Scorpio_ , so it was getting dark when they arrived. This seemed to make Blake nervous, which in it's turn made Avon nervous.

The flyer was big enough to carry around seven people, and designed so that a single person could comfortably sleep in the back. For two, it would be a little less comfortable, but still better than outside under a tree. Blake opened the door and gestured Avon to get in. He hesitated. The whole seemed far too much like a trap, where he would be completely helpless with no way out and no means to defend himself. There was a bright trumpeting purple elephant following them around they so far both had done their very best to ignore, namely that Blake was a bounty hunter and Avon had a phenomenally high price on his head.

« Avon. » Blake sounded impatient.

« How do I know you won't just take off and fly to that base of yours while I'm asleep ? »

« You don't. You'll have to try trusting me. »

« Do I have a choice ? »

« Yes. Either you can get in, or you can spend the night outside in the open. »

His hand was again dangerously close to the gun. Maybe he didn't notice, maybe he was unaware of the message he sent, but Avon wasn't. He got in the back, painfully aware that he was at Blake's mercy, and hating it.

Blake switched on the force wall, than joined Avon in the back, probably a sign that he wouldn't take off while the other man was asleep. He did, however, successfully block the only exit with his body. Avon pressed himself as much against the other wall as possible without showing how afraid he really was.

On the outside, he looked just as cool as always. On the inside... He was grieving the loss of his ship, worried about his friends, desperately hoping he could trust Blake, but afraid to even believe he actually found him. What ORAC had told him about his former leader didn't sound very encouraging, and Avon had been betrayed too many times. This was one of the reasons he wanted his crew to be with him. They stood a better chance together, would Blake turn against them. Vila was the only one who had ever met the legend in person, but Avon trusted that, would it come to a fight, he would take his side, not Blake's. The others were _his_ crew, no debate possible.

Also, there were all the strong feelings he generally associated with Blake.

They had brought two blankets (Blake apparently didn't have any) and some food with them from the wreckage, but Avon was too tense too eat. Blake ate mechanically, like someone who is used to eat whenever he can, but didn't seem to taste anything. They than leaned back silently, but neither of them slept. They were just lying there for a long time, looking at eachother.

It was Avon who moved first. He reached out with a hand, but stopped just before he could touch Blake's face.

« May I ? » Only when Blake nodded did he gently trace the scar across his face with his finger. It was the first time he gave any sign of even noticing it.

Blake let him, than took his hand gently in his own and rested his face against it.

« I missed you. »

« What happened to Jenna, Blake ? », asked Avon. He felt that he already knew the answer, but he had to hear it said out loud.

« She is dead. »

Strange, it still hurt him to hear it.

« I lost the  _Liberator_ and Calley. »

That hurt too.

Neither of them asked for details. They knew both exactly all they needed to know. After some time, Avon pulled back his hand. They didn't speak any more that evening, the memory of the two women lingering around them, so dense they could almost touch it.

 

***

 

Blake got woken in the middle of the night by Avon calling his name. He was awake immediately, not only because it has been a long time since he couldn't afford a deep sleep any more (mind you, he had slept better than in ages), but there was something in Avon's voice that was horribly misplaced there.

To his surprise, his friend was still asleep.

« Blake ! », called Avon again, full of pain and desperation.

Blake froze for a moment.

«  _Blake !_ » Tears were running over Avon's face, and he was shaking. Maybe he was cold. It was pretty cold. Blake knew instinctively that that wasn't the case.

Avon made a little noise of pain. «  _Please._ » It was only a whisper, and it sounded broken.

That woke Blake from his stiffness. Avon was having a nightmare, a bad one, and he only knew too well that feeling. He reached to wake him up.

When he gently touched his shoulder, Avon started to move again, trying to shake it of, to get away. He couldn't.

« No ! No ! No, please ! Blake ! »

Blake grabbed his shoulder and shook him violently, than also grabbed him with his other hand, trying to hold him still.

« Avon ! Wake up, Avon, it's me. »

Avon desperately tried to free himself from his grip, still trapped in his dream.

« Avon ! Ssssht, it's all right, it's me. I'm here. »

Finally, Avon woke. He was still trembling, slightly sweaty, and his eyes were full of... No, not fear. _Terror_.

Blake was about to say something, but before he could open up his mouth, Avon threw himself in his arms, pressing against his body, shaking violently and breathing heavily. He held on to Blake as if it were a matter of life and death.

This was so much unlike Avon that it outright scared him.

More following his instinct than anything else, he closed him in his arms, holding him tight, caressed him over his back and through his hair, trying to calm him down. Avon was only shaking even more, and his body felt as if he were sobbing.

« Blake... »

« Sssht. », whispered Blake, close to his ear. « It's okay, I'm here. » Avon's hair smelled differently than it had on the _Liberator_ , he must have used a different product, fairly recently, too. Not better or worse, just… different.

Slowly, the technician calmed down, still lying in Blake's arms, his head resting on his shoulder. He leant his head against Avon's, breathing into his hair, still holding him.

« Do you want to tell me what that was ? », asked Blake when the trembling had all but stopped in a whisper.

« I don't. »

Blake held him even tighter, and Avon relaxed against him.

It was so obvious that he needed desperately human contact, that he had for a long time now, and that he had apparently chased away efficiently everyone who could have given it to him.

And Blake was reminded of the nights he had clung helplessly to Avon (to anybody, actually, but somehow, it usually ended up being Avon), back on the early days on the _Liberator._ And it was as if his heart froze when he noticed just how similar that had been. Far too similar to be a coincidence.

 

***

 

« You can let go of me. », said Avon. It was embarrassing, being held like that, especially by Blake, who had specialised in messing with Avon's emotions, trying to play him like a puppet. Not that he had any chance, Avon knew that he was far more intelligent than Blake would ever be, too intelligent to be manipulated. So Blake went for his only weak point, his usually so well-protected feelings he had convinced people they didn't even exist. Oh, he still was stronger, but Blake had made sure that the fight stayed interesting.

What was worse, right there, in Blake's arms, he was feeling safer than he had in a long time. He only hoped it was real.

« I don't think so. », whispered Blake so close to his ear he could feel his warm breath, and continued slowly combing with his fingers through Avon's hair.

Avon couldn't help himself, he sighted and relaxed even more against his rival. He almost could feel Blake smile.

For some time, they were silent.

« When I… When I lost the _Liberator_... »

He didn't move while saying it, his face still buried in Blake's shoulder. He had to fight to get the words out, and he knew it could be heard in his voice. It was the first time he told the story, and the memory was painful enough to tempt him to run away fast in the opposite direction.

Blake's hand was still for three seconds, than he continued to caress him in the same rhythm, not saying anything, not judging, just there, listening.

« Servalan set me a trap. She… She started sending me signals, in your name. »

They didn't talk about it between themselves. Avon had expected the others being furious alone for bringing them somewhere without their permission, but they hadn't said anything, just looked at him with a strange pity in their eyes he couldn't pinpoint and certainly didn't like. He had been too numb at the moment to notice, but it hadn't changed ever since: No anger, no blame, not even a word against him, just silence and that pity in their look.

Blake didn't react, at all, but Avon knew he was not missing a word of what he said. He took a deep breath and forced himself to continue.

« It was all very elaborate. No direct instructions, just places to go to be told where to go in order to find out where to go. In the end, I ended up on a planet called Terminal in an underground base.

Some guards knocked me out, but it was easy to get out of the room where they left me. And… And I found you. »

He could feel the muscles tense beneath him.

« I was never there. »

« I noticed. But at the time, you seemed only too real. »

_Careful, Avon, your sentiment is showing._

He hadn't known himself how worried he had been about Blake until he had found him and known that he was safe now.

« You had managed to get yourself injured enough to be on life support. We talked, I left and run into some more g u ards. They knocked me down, but I was only out for a second. They  than took me to Servalan,  she proposed a deal : Your life against the  _Liberator_ . »

Blake had stopped caressing him, his hand was now balled to a fist. Avon couldn't see it, but he was so tense, it just had to be.

«  I declined, of course. »

He could feel Blake  let escape the breath he had been holding and relax a little.

« Of course. »

« Of course. I told them to leave me and get out of there as fast as they could. Only that Calley and Tarrant already had followed me down, and got caught, so we had little choice left.

On our way to Terminal, we flew through an  anomaly , some sort of red cloud. Something was eating away the  _Liberator_ , so when she tried to start the engines, it exploded.  Unfortunately , Servalan survived. »

«  And you ? »

« She told me you were dead. »

This wasn't what Blake had asked, he knew that. And he didn't care.

«  She had artificially created and implanted a false memory into my mind, and you had been dead for over a year. »

S ilence. There was nothing to say. Blake was holding him tighter now, as if it could c hange anything .

« I wonder if it has been like this for you. »

None of them could count the sleepless nights Blake had spent at the beginning of their time on the  _Liberator_ , or the times he had woken scre a ming from a nightmare.

He answered, his voice hot against Avon's ear.

« It makes you question everything, doesn't it ? »

Avon knew he'd understand. If anyone, than Blake.

« I am not sure any more if what is happening is real, or just in my head. »

« I was always  questioning if I was thinking or wanting something because of me, or because the Federation wanted me to.  And the people around me, anyone could be a brainwashed Federation spy, and not even know about it. »

Well, that was something new.

« You never told me about it. »

« Would you have understood ? »

No, of course he wouldn't have.

Blake had gone over into absent-mindedly tracing circles on his neck. It didn't feel as good as when he had been playing with his hair, but Avon didn't complain.

He felt him sigh.

« It has become worse since we got separ a ted.  At least I had Jenna, but since she died… I can't tell who is Federation any more. »

« Is that why you were so obsessed with your Cause ? If there was no Federation, they wouldn't mess with our minds ? »

He didn't get an answer, but didn't need one, either. It made  all  so much more sense now,  since Terminal . It was strange, Blake's  fanaticism having always been his most irritating feature, and Avon had suddenly noticed that he could understand him.  Or almost understand.

«  So, how do you get over it ? »

He hoped with all his heart that Blake wouldn't notice how desperate he was for an answer.  Any advise, anything at all. Well, he had lived through it,  after all, he  should know from experience.

The answer hit him like a punch in the stomach.

«  You don't. You'll learn how to live with it with time, but this is something that changes you, Avon. The world is never the same after. »

He was right, of course he was. It was one thing to know that the technology to  brain wash people existed, but it was something completely different to experience first-handed how fragile « reality »  was and how little you c ould trust your own mind.

Apart from that, for Avon, there was also Servalan 's betrayal . Maybe it was the wrong word, it is not as if they hadn't been sworn  enemies all along, but there  had been a silent agreement to respect certain li mits. Setting a trap by making the other  believe that his biggest wish ha d come true, than mindraping him into actually  seeing it before throwing in his face that it had all been an illusion and leaving him stranded on a deserted planet while stealing his ship was way past those limits. Not to even mention the bombs hidden in the base.

A nd it hurt, her being capable o f such a thing. Not that Avon had ever really trusted her, but he  had understood her. He wasn't in love with Servalan, romantic feelings were alien to him, but of all the people he ever met (even Anna), she was the most like him.  No-one understood him like she did, because her way of thinking was the same as his. If there was a way of being friends while fighting eachother, that's what they had been.

«  We should try and get some sleep. », said Blake. « The earlier we begin the search, the bigger the chance that your friends are still alive. »

He moved, shifting his weight from si t ting so that he could  best support Avon to lying as comfortably as he possibly could. Avon followed his example,  this time not even wasting any effort tryin g to  get some distance between them , and put his arm around Blake, who pulled him close. In surprisingly short time, both of them were asleep. 

Avon's last clear thought was of his crew, and how he hoped that they were all right. Surely they were, they could take care of themselves, couldn't they ?

 

***

 

Vila  was trying very hard not to panic, and did a pretty good job at it, even if he said so himself. He , Dayna, Soolin and Tarrant were sitting in a corner of the abandoned farm, closer to one another than the chain binding them together forced them to.

Soolin had automatically taken the lead, after all, she knew the planet best. The three of them had tried to find a village (or some other human group), but without much luck, and ended up seeking shelter in an abandoned farm house. Due to some miracle, Tarrant had found them there, carrying ORAC with him. He told them that Avon had stayed on the  _Scorpio_ , trying to keep it in one piece. They had asked ORAC to get in touch with the ship, but all they got was that « The S LAVE  unit is no longer  operational . The chances of Kerr Avon being alive are estimated  1 4 % and rapidly  decreasing.  »

With other words, Avon was dead, and it still seemed all so unrealistic. ORAC had excused himself, claiming that his capacities were fa r too good to be wa s ted doing nothing, but it fooled nobody : The computer was  grieving for Avon.  It had been basically his, af t er all. ORAC wasn't supposed to have any feelings, but the dying ZEN had convinced Vila for good  not to trust sentient computers in that aspect.

D ayna and Tarrant had taken the first watch, but not woken them soon enough to escape the bounty hunters. They were surrounded, and the house, that had seemed like a safe refuge just now became a trap. They did have enough time to shrink ORAC, the way Vila and Avon had when they  had hacked the Big Wheel, ages ago, and hid him in the corner under the bed. If they were done for, the computer should not fall into Federation hands.

The hunters than had tied them together and instructed to sit in (another) corner, without talking, and, as far as possible, moving. One of them was watching them with a loaded gun  in his hands .  It was a long night.

They were sitting as close as possible, as if… What ? As if they needed the physical contact to keep calm ? As if they were trying to protect eachother ? As if they knew this would be their last night together ? Vila didn't want to think about it.

He didn't want to think about Avon, either, but he couldn't stop himself.  Ever since he had first called him an idiot, the  technician had  _been there_ . Insulting everyone and knowing everything better, picking fights with Blake and taking his r o le when he had failed to check in after they got separated. Never missing a chance to make a  snarly comment on Vila's expen s e, his best friend. They had been the only ones left of the original crew, and that had been enough to bind them together, if nothing else. But it was not all. Vila  _knew_ Avon. They all did, it is hard to keep secrets if you are living on a ship with four other people. Which is to say, it is impossible.  Avon could do his best to pretend he didn't care, but they all knew  that he did, deeply. No-one knew it better than Vila.

_I want it over and done with, I want to be free._

But he had never freed himself from Blake, had he ?  Even when all the others had thought that they'd ended the search, Avon had carried on.

_Blake would have been proud of you, you know._

_I know. But than again, he never was very bright._

Thinking about Avon made him sad, but it was better than thinking about what would happen to him – to them – the next day. Besides, it is healthy to be sad if a good friend dies, there is no reason to be ashamed of that. That was what Calley had told him after they'd lost Gan. When Calley had died, Vila had just drowned it all in alcohol.

He vowed himself that this time, he wouldn't do that. And certainly _not_ because he wouldn't get the chance to get any near alcohol. What a scary thought.

The thought of wine led him back to the time after Calley's death, when he had sneaked in the middle of the night around in the base to find something to drink, and had found Avon sitting there, staring in the nothing with strangely dead eyes. Vila had offered him a glass, but he had just shaken his head and turned his attention back on the nothingness. Vila had sat there with him for a long time, but Avon hadn't taken further notice of him. Still, it had felt as if he was glad Vila was there.

Tarrant and Dayna were holding hands, Soolin was leaning against Dayna's back. Vila wished, Gan was there. Gan would have said something, something simple and clever that would have made him feel better. Vila tried to imagine, what, but he couldn't think of anything. Still, it would have felt good to have someone as calm and strong as Gan there.

Soolin gently kicked him to get his attention, and gave him a sign to take her place. Vila obeyed, so now it was he who was sitting back-to-back with Dayna. Soolin gave him a smile, than rolled herself together as a cat on the ground, her back pressed against Vila's leg.

_Have you thought of another plan ?_

_Yes, I'm, going to get some sleep._

_Try and get some sleep_ sounded like something Gan  c ould have said.

 

***

 

The next morning, they were led out of the house to a nearby clearing, where the bounty hunters had a flyer parked.

Only that there was a body lying on the ground that looked suspiciously like a member of the group they had left behind as a guard, and another flyer parked next to it.

Before anyone had the time to realise what that meant, there were shots, and the hunters fell one after the other. Vila didn't see who fired, or from where, and that made him very uncomfortable, even if the shooter was clearly on their side.

He was forced to rethink this when two men stepped out of the woods, one from their left, black haired, wearing torn leather, and one from their right, clothes similar to the bounty hunters' and a scar across his face, including one of his eyes.

« So you actually made it. », said Tarrant. Avon answered with a smile.

Soolin bowed down to take the keys from the body, and took off the chains of herself, than Dayna and Vila. Tarrant freed himself.

« Where is ORAC ? », asked Avon.

« I'll show you, » proposed Dayna. Vila noticed that Avon looked at Blake and waited for him to nod before accepting the offer. He also noticed that Blake hadn't put away his gun. From the quick glances the others exchanged, they had, too, and drawn the same conclusion as he.

Avon and Dayna returned soon, what was good because the silence was really uncomfortable. Vila tried very hard to think of something to say to Blake, but all he could come up with at the moment was that he needed a drink, so he preferred to remain silent. Avon was carrying ORAC with him, as expected. The computer was it's original size again, and seemed to have survived the incident without a scratch.

« Now what ? », asked Soolin the big question.

Before anyone could answer, Avon lost his balance and had to lean with his back against the closest tree to keep himself from falling. He didn't drop ORAC, though only just.

« Somebody take ORAC. », ordered he. He had gone pale and was slightly trembling, but kept his voice firm. Dayna, who was the closest, obeyed, than slowly backed away, until she stood with the others. Avon sank to the ground and buried his face in his hands. He was visibly shaking now.

Blake sat down beside him, the expression on his face gone suddenly soft. So was his voice.

« I told you that you needed medical attention. »

« I'm fine, just give me two minutes. »

« Avon, you crashed with a ship. »

« I said I was fine, Blake ! »

« Is that… ? », asked Tarrant, without taking his eyes of the two.

« Yes. », answered Vila.

« Avon says Blake told him that he is running a secret organisation below the bounty hunter disguise. » hissed Dayna. « According to ORAC, there is no trace of it on the computers, but would suit Blake's character, so there is over 50 % probability that he is telling the truth. »

« 50 %? That isn't much. » remarked Tarrant. Vila knew it was what they were all thinking.

« Yes, but we hardly have a choice, do we ? » asked Soolin.

« Vila ? »

« I don't think Blake would harm us. » It was the truth. Blake turning his back on his Cause was absurd, him turning the back on his friends impossible.

« A man can change a lot over the years, Vila. »

« Not Blake. »

The rebel was helping Avon to stand up, who really must have been more severely injured in the crash than met the eye, because he was insecure on his feet, and, even more surprisingly, allowed Blake to support him. Knowing Avon, he could have been exaggerating to get his potential enemy to underestimate him, but his paleness and the cold sweat on his face were real.

« Who is the pilot ? », demanded Blake. The crew of the late _Scorpio_ exchanged a quick look before Tarrant answered.

« I am. »

« Good. Avon, me and you... »

« Dayna. », said Dayna.

« Dayna are taking my flyer to the base. You three follow in the other. No tricks, and ORAC is with us. »

He proceeded to help Avon towards the flyer and in the front seat next to the driver. The technician leant back, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply several times.

« I'm fine, you can leave me alone. »

« He wants us to pretend to cooperate fully, but stay on our guards and not to trust Blake. » whispered Dayna, than climbed into the backseat of the flyer without looking back once.

« We'd better do as told. », said Soolin loud enough for everyone to hear, and led the way to the second flyer.

 

***

 

The flight was mostly silent, and so tense it could be cut with a knife. Dayna even started to picture which kind of knife would be best suited for this purpose, than stopped herself while admitting that she definitely was a little too nervous.

Avon was silent all along, and Blake kept shooting worried looks in his direction. Dayna concentrated on holding ORAC and keeping back the seemingly hundreds of questions buzzing around inside her head. It was not that she had ever thought she didn't know enough about Blake, her father had been a fan after all, and she had picked up more than enough during her time on the _Liberator_. It was that suddenly, the real man was sitting in front of her, and there were other things, small, unimportant things that she realised she really had to know. She envied Tarrant and Soolin, who got to ask Vila.

Avon was somehow different, in a way that had nothing to do with his health. He had seemed more calm and balanced than ever since Terminal when they had gone together to get ORAC. He had told her briefly what had happened since they had left him behind on the crashing _Scorpio_ , and it had been obvious that he himself really wanted it all to be true, but didn't dare to believe it. He had kept his rational self up as a defence and logically assessed the actions to be taken, but Dayna knew him too well to be fooled. He had radiated hope as strong as Avon possibly could.

Blake was piloting the flyer, and directed most of his attention exclusively on the instruments. However, Dayna caught his frequent looks at the man next to him. Avon was very pale, and even before the half of the trip, he had closed his eyes and didn't open them before landing. It took him two attempts to get out of the flyer, because his legs gave in the first time, and he had to sit down. Blake reached to help him, but Avon pulled away, steadying himself against the wall of the flyer.

«Not you. Tarrant. »

Blake looked hurt, but didn't say anything, so in the end, it was Tarrant and Vila who supported Avon, while Dayna took ORAC and Blake pretended to hold Soolin in check with his gun.

« Don't forget, you are my prisoners. », hissed he. « Do as I tell you, look scared, and _don't tell anyone under any circumstances_ that you're from the _Liberator._ The Federation is always watching. »

Dayna felt tempted to point out that they were, strictly speaking, not from the _Liberator_ , but held herself back.

They crossed unnoticed the rooms, until the very end of a corridor.

« There is a medical kit over there. » Blake pointed. « Get it. » Soolin obeyed. It was a rather big box, compared to your average medical kit, but not too big to be handled by a single person.

Blake gave in some code, and a door opened, leading to a row of holding cells. Dayna felt the nervousity of her friends, but it was too late, and Blake herded them in the first one at the left. He closed the door, than climbed on the bed to push a hidden button on the ceiling.

« Jus de Pomme. » The floor and the lower part of the wall in the left corner slid silently open. Blake jumped from the bed.

« It means _applejus_ in an old, now extinct Earth language. Come on. »

Getting Avon down the stairs proved to be much easier than expected. He almost didn't even complain when Blake simply lifted him up and carried him in his arms through the secret passage. The others followed, and the wall slid shut behind them.

« This is the safest part of the base. », said Blake in a low voice. « We only use it in emergencies. You should be safe here for the time being. My room is the last on the corridor. »

Said room proved to look suspiciously as if it were Blake's bedroom, judging by the number of personal belongings lying around. That he only would use his bedroom in emergencies sounded a little strange to Dayna, but she didn't complain. He probably had a pretend-bedroom somewhere.

Blake helped Avon lie down on the bed and took his shoes off. He than turned and run his hand through his hair. He looked tired, thought Dayna, while she put ORAC down on the table.

« Who of you knows the most about medicine? », asked he.

« I think that's me. » Dayna stepped forward. It had always been Calley's job, but she had taught her a lot during the quiet hours on the _Liberator_ when Dayna needed a break from her weapons design. After her death, she had more or less taken it over.

« What do you make of him? » He sounded worried.

No matter how much experience she may have had, Dayna never had to deal with worried relatives before. Calley would have known how to reassure Blake, but Calley was dead and Dayna wasn't telepathic, so she just ignored him and begun to examine Avon.

His body seemed to be all right, at least she couldn't find any exterior wounds. He did, however, look exhausted and was only barely conscious. When had he last eaten, anyway? Or drunk? He was pale and trembling, his skin felt hot.

« I don't know. », said Dayna truthfully. « If it is the crash that caused this, than it might probably be radiation or some kind of shock. On the other hand... »

« Yes? » Blake took a step towards her, probably without noticing it. Dayna looked at the others for support, at Tarrant's tired face, Soolin's hair for once in urgent need of a comb, and Vila looking like the alcoholic in need of a drink he was. Yet he didn't complain, and looked just as worried about Avon as the others did, namely the exact maximum of emotion they could bring up at the moment. It wasn't too much.

« Avon has never been quite himself since Terminal. That's where we lost the _Liberator_ and... »

« I now. Avon told me. »

« It has affected him gravely. Now that we found you, those memories must have been triggered. I don't know how bad they are, or if they could send anyone in this state... »

« Oh yes, they can. Trust me, if they are anything like what the Federation had done to _me_... »

Dayna decided that it was better not to think too much about what that meant, and limited herself to take out some medicine from the box.

« In case it helps something: Anti-radiation pills, anti-shock pills, an injection of relaxants and – Vila, catch! »

She threw him something that he of course missed.

« Something for alcohol withdrawal. Do you have any water? »

Blake had, and handed her a glass. Than, without having to be asked, he knelt on the bed and lifted Avon in a half-sitting position while whispering something soothing to him. He helped her give him the pills and made him drink some water. He was sitting on the bed by the time they finished, and, to Dayna's surprise, laid Avon's head in his lap instead of back on the pillow. Even more surprisingly, Avon let him, he just turned on his side, away from the room, rolled himself together, and pressed his face against Blake.

Dayna remembered Vila telling her and Tarrant, back when they were still new to the team, that _there was certainly something going on between those two. Everybody knew it._

_But they kept it really quiet, so we never spoke of it, either._ Calley had added. Of course, this was Avon. It was difficult enough to get him to show any emotions when you were alone, having him talk about an intimate relationship to _somebody else_ was just absurd. It was more than just a little weird, watching now Blake gently injecting the relaxant into his neck. He than spread a blanket over him, and lay one of his hands on his shoulder while caressing his hair with the other. Avon slowly relaxed and the trembling stopped, his breath evened.

Dayna felt a pressing urge to look away, while at the same time knowing that this was the one and only occasion she ever would be witness to something like this, and wanting to carve it into her memory. None of the others seemed to find it necessary to turn away, so she didn't, either.

« Should we leave you alone for a bit? », enquired Soolin sweetly. Dayna winced.

« Alone? » Blake looked up from Avon, a little confused. « No, I don't think so. On the contrary, you must always stay together, so you can protect eachother from the Federation. »

« Just how powerful are they here? », asked Tarrant.

« I don't know. It is getting harder and harder to tell who is and who isn't Federation. I try to select the people we accept on this base myself... Just yesterday, I brought in a woman who looks quite promising, if she really committed those crimes they are chasing her for. I really should go and question her... » But he stayed where he was.

« So what do we do now? », asked Dayna.

« Look out for eachother. Stay here a few days until you are fully recovered. Than we'll continue to fight the Federation. Once this base is strong enough, we can expand to other planets. » He smiled a tired smile at Vila. « It will be nice to have someone on my side again whom I know I can completely trust. » At the end of the sentence, he was looking at Avon again. The exhaustion and the medicaments had done their work, and the technician was sleeping deeply. _A good idea_ , thought Dayna. _We all_ _could use_ _some proper sleep_ _._


End file.
